It sounds like the setup to a weird, utterly geeky joke — “So Apple’s CEO calls up Google’s CEO…” — but according to a new report from Reuters, the situation is anything but. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Larry Page have recently spent time chatting with each other over the phone, and they plan to continue doing so at least for the time being.

Exactly what the two titans of tech are talking about isn’t totally clear yet, but it’s probably safe to assume that they dispensed with the pleasantries pretty quickly.

No, these supposed conversations were all about patents — how they could they not be, given Apple’s recent legal triumph over Samsung — and Reuters’ sources pointed to the possibility of an arrangement between the respective companies that could help ease some tension:

One possible scenario under consideration could be a truce involving disputes over basic features and functions in Google’s Android mobile software, one source said. But it’s unclear whether Page and Cook are discussing a broad settlement of the various disputes between the two companies – most of which involve the burgeoning mobile computing area – or are focused on a more limited set of issues.

Truce? That’s a far cry from the “thermonuclear” approach that the late Steve Jobs prescribed, but it’s not entirely a shock to see the word bandied about — I’m sure neither company is afraid of pulling the legal trigger should it prove necessary, but words can sometimes settle issues in a way that pure legal might can’t. While it’s good to see these companies on speaking terms though, it’s hard not to imagine what would happen should these talks wind up being less than fruitful.

Consider the situation — Samsung was found to have infringed on a number of Apple’s technical and design patents, and is being asked to cough up $1.05 billion in damages. While it’s true that most of the infringements (whether you think they’re valid or not) are centered on Samsung-specific design choices, that’s not to say that Google is completely in the clear. The company was quick to point out the “most” of the patent claims in question didn’t “relate to the core Android operating system” after the landmark verdict was delivered, but that may not be such a huge issue anyway. As The Verge’s Nilay Patel adroitly points out, it may not be too difficult to design around Apple’s specific implementation of certain patents, and the newest version of Android dodges that rather nicely.

In the wake of the multi-week trial, some wondered whether or not Google would lend its collaborator a helping hand. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all — HTC sued Apple last year for infringement against patents that Google had sold to it just a week prior, and the company stepped into the midst of another copyright infringement debate when Lodsys sued 11 app developers in 2011. If Cook and Page both walk away unsatisfied, it wouldn’t be impossible to imagine Google trying to help out in one way or another.

The precedent is there, but it seems like the sort of option that Google saves as a last resort. In any case, while Apple and Google’s head honchos continue to talk things out, Samsung is also reportedly gearing up for yet another legal battle. I’m not talking about the appeals process or the preliminary injunction hearing — The Korea Times reported earlier this morning that Samsung is planning to sue Apple should it release an LTE-enabled iPhone. Considering the tone of recent leaks and rumors (not to mention that there’s no way Apple would release an LTE iPad and fail to follow up with an LTE iPhone), Samsung should soon get the fight it’s looking for.

Payvia, which just launched its new mobile payment platform for carrier billing this July, has been selected as the exclusive vendor to power the campaign contributions for Obama for America (OFA). This will allow supporters to send in donations to the campaign via text message, and those charges will later appear on the user’s monthly cell phone bill. The company says it first presented its service to the Federal Election Commission earlier this spring (before its public debut), and then was approved unanimously by FEC members votes. This is the first time politicians have been able to receive donations this way – something that was made possible by the FEC’s ruling in June that authorized this grassroots method for political fundraising.

The Obama Campaign announced that it would begin accepting donations via text messages earlier this month, allowing supporters text “GIVE” to 62262 for those on Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, with AT&T planned for the “near future,” according to a press release put out by the campaign. Donations were capped at $50 per month, and $10 per text, per FEC rules. Mitt Romney’s campaign is expected to do the same, with supporters texting “GOMITT” or 466488.

Although it may seem surprising that payvia was chosen for this effort, given it was only just launched, the company it comes from has been operating in this space for some time. Payvia is from m-Qube, which started a transaction and carrier billing network in North America in 2004 – in other words, it knows the ropes. m-Qube had originally focused on entertainment services (ringtones, wallpaper, etc.) back in mobile’s earlier days. As payvia, it’s now competing with a number of others, including Boku, Zong (now eBay-owned), Bango, Netsize, Fortumo, boxPAY, and more.

According to payvia President, Darcy Wedd, his company was chosen for a number of reasons. “We demonstrated leadership in this space with the payvia group authoring multiple Federal Election Commission (FEC) Advisory Opinion requests,” he explains. “We worked through a series of these requests with the FEC in June and August, each approved by unprecedented unanimous Commission votes. As a result, payvia’s approved proposal will permit political committees to accept contributions via carrier billing. payvia’s core technology platform addressed all of the requirements necessary to garner the support of the FEC,” he adds.

For the company, the impact to payvia’s bottom line are “significant,” says Wedd. “One of the FEC requirements is that the payvia must charge the political committees normal commercial rates for these contribution programs,” he tells us. Asked if he could estimate the number of donations expected, Wedd deferred, saying that the marketing plans for the campaigns remain confidential, but the potential reach is in the tens of millions.

The importance of the FEC’s ruling to allow text message donations cannot be overstated. As the influence of affluent donors and super PACs grows, the ability to raise small amounts via SMS could help shift power back to the general public. Text messaging could tap into impulsivity – reaching those who wouldn’t normally bother to donate, but are fine with sending a quick text. It’s a method that’s proved successful for non-political fundraisers, like when SMS was used following the earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010. There’s also the possibility for further virality, since text message users could quickly share word of the SMS donation via friends.